Engineering news
Lunar ‘petrol station’ will be built in UK
E&T
Thales Alenia Space will build a space-based chemical refuelling station that could support missions to Mars. The ‘petrol station’ – actually supplying xenon and other chemical propellants – will support NASA’s Lunar Gateway project. It will be built in the UK and launch is scheduled for 2027.
UK hydrogen projects lead a transport revolution
Professional Engineering
For most of the 21st century, there has only been one viable alternative to fossil fuel transport in the minds of many people – electric vehicles. That is beginning to change, however, thanks to some radical new hydrogen projects. We looked at four exciting projects taking hydrogen to new heights in the UK.
Tempest radar will capture equivalent of a city’s data every second
Professional Engineering
New radar technology on the UK’s upcoming Tempest fighter jet will capture data equivalent to the internet traffic of Edinburgh every second, its development team has said. Delivered by partners including BAE Systems, Leonardo and Rolls-Royce, the aircraft and associated technology is due to enter into service from the mid-2030s.
Biomedical sensor printed directly onto skin
Professional Engineering
Biomedical sensors have been printed directly onto the body thanks to an advanced new technique. A team at Penn State University in Pennsylvania used an ‘aid layer’ of polyvinyl alcohol paste – the main ingredient in peelable face masks – and calcium carbonate from eggshells to print sensors onto the skin.
Nuclear power stations could last longer thanks to fatigue reassessment
Professional Engineering
A new research project could extend the lifespan of nuclear power stations around the world by improving on conservative fatigue assessments. Led by Jacobs and funded by the European Union, the international Incefa-Scale programme aims to reduce uncertainties about how critical components will perform when subjected to the harsh conditions inside operational nuclear power reactors.
Solar aircraft completes critical endurance trials
Aerospace Manufacturing
After completing flight trials, the high altitude Phasa-35 solar electric aircraft has undergone critical endurance trials simulating the harsh conditions in the stratosphere. The 35m wingspan craft, developed by BAE Systems, Prismatic and the UK’s Defence Science and Technology Laboratory, could be used for surveillance, communications networks or disaster relief.
Organic battery could store renewable energy
Professional Engineering
A team of researchers has claimed a world first after demonstrating an organic redox flow battery with a large capacity, making it suitable for renewable energy storage. The battery, developed at Linköping University in Sweden, could also be used as a power bank for cars. It uses a water-based electrolyte and electrodes of an organic material.
Walking robot gets wheels for efficient travel
New Atlas
A team of engineers at ETH Zurich in Switzerland have added wheels to the four legs of their Anymal robot. The wheels, which enable speeds of up to 4m per second, allow the machine to combine walking and rolling to tackle obstacles and paths in the most efficient way.
Super-hot machines could stay cool by ‘breathing’
Professional Engineering
University of Central Florida (UCF) researchers are developing a way for large machines to “breathe” cooling blasts of water to keep their systems from overheating. The process is much like how humans breathe in air, which cools the body, said lead author Khan Rabbi.
“Our technique used a pulsed water-jet to cool a hot titanium surface,” said Rabbi. “The more water we pumped out of the spray jet nozzles, the greater the amount of heat that transferred between the solid titanium surface and the water droplets, thus cooling the titanium.”
‘Gas shield’ saves cost and time by preventing welding reworks
Professional Engineering
A new welding technique can save manufacturers cost and time by preventing reworks. Developed by engineers at MetLase in Rotherham, the ‘gas shield’ controls argon delivery within shielded welding, preventing the age-old problem of oxygen or water vapour affecting the quality of the weld. Using precision laser cutting technology and patented joining methodology, MetLase identified an engineering grade metallic foam that dissipates the argon gas in a precise manner, providing an almost perfect inert atmosphere for the process.
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Content published by Professional Engineering does not necessarily represent the views of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers.